Ringer golf

ABSTRACT

A game piece is struck by a golf club, and is propelled through the air in order to target a vertical pole in the ground similar to the action in the game of horseshoes. The game piece consists of a spherical object simulating a golf ball having a pair of arms. The game, while providing a novel experience sought by many persons, also tends to aid players in properly striking a golf ball in the game of golf. If the spherical object which can be an actual golf ball is properly struck at its center without a club induced slice, the game piece will turn over and over in an orderly fashion without wobbling from side-to-side. If it is not properly struck, it will wobble in its flight through the air which indicates that the player has not hit the spherical object properly.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of provisional application No.61/063,170 filed Feb. 1, 2008.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to the field of recreational games.

The nature of the game of golf is well known so that there is no need todescribe it further. Likewise with respect to the game of horseshoes.

In the game of golf, the ball should not be struck in a manner to“slice” or “hook” the ball which causes it to diverge from a desired“strait-ahead” path. There are devices in the prior art for measuringthe degree of improper slicing of the ball by the player and using thismeasurement to aid in the correction of this undesirable tendency. As aresult, the player tends to strike the ball at its center in the“correct” manner to cause the ball to follow the “strait-ahead” path atthe desired target area.

In the game of horseshoes, when the horseshoe is properly grasped andlaunched from the hand to travel at the vertical pole that constitutesthe target, it will turn over and over in the air in an orderly manner,without chaotically wobbling from side-to-side.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

A game piece is struck by a golf club, and is propelled through the airin order to target a vertical pole in the ground similar to the actionin the game of horseshoes. The game piece comprises a spherical objecthaving substantially the size of a golf ball. A first arm member iscoupled to one side of the spherical object and a second arm member iscoupled to an opposite side of the spherical object. The sphericalobject is supported off the ground by an adjustable height golf tee suchas the tee disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,110,060 to Spoto. A conventionalgolf iron, swung by the player, strikes the spherical object to launchit at the target pole. If the spherical object is properly struck at itscenter, the game piece will turn over and over in an orderly fashionwithout wobbling from side-to-side. If it is not properly struck, itwill wobble in its flight through the air which clearly shows the playerthat he or she has not hit the spherical object properly.

A novel game is thus provided to give pleasure to people who enjoyexperiencing something truly new and out of the ordinary. In addition,the “Ringer-Golf” game of the invention tends to aid players in properlystriking a golf ball in the game of golf and at the same time can evenaid players in improving his or her performance in tossing horseshoes asthey become more conscience of eliminating undesirable side by sidewobble.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Other features and advantages of the invention will become more apparentupon reading the detailed description and the drawings in which:

FIG. 1 discloses the overall arrangement of components used in the gameincluding a first game piece 1;

FIG. 2 illustrates a second type of game piece currently considered tohave the preferred configuration;

FIG. 3 illustrates a third type of game piece.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

Referring now to FIG. 1, the game piece 1 consists of a spherical object2 preferably the size of a golf ball, or even an actual golf ball,affixed to and between a first arm 3 and a second arm.

Game piece 1 is propelled through the air along path 8 and is directedat a target pole 9 in the ground 1A. One goal of the game is to causethe game piece to encircle the target pole as shown in FIG. 1 or atleast to land in the vicinity of the pole. This is effected by placingthe spherical object 2 upon a tee 5 which can be an adjustable heighttee to accommodate various players heights, stance and habits. Theforwardly positioned tips of the arm members can rest upon the ground asschematically indicated in FIG. 1. Player 6 then strikes the sphericalobject 2 of the game-piece by means of a golf club preferably a sandwedge. The sloped club head induces the desired spin in the game pieceas it is propelled through the air toward the target.

A second goal of the game is to have the player strike the sphericalobject at its center without slicing it, to thereby cause thehorseshoe-like game piece to turn over and over in an orderly mannerduring its flight toward the target pole 9 which indicates that theswing of the golf club upon striking the spherical object at its centerwas of proper form.

During actual tests of prototypes constructed by the inventor, heobserved numerous flights of the game piece whereby it wobbleschaotically from side to side, indicating an improper striking of thegolf ball. Such wobbling was reduced upon properly striking the ball.

The best results were produced by the game piece shown in FIG. 2, thatis not to scale, wherein a first arm member has a first shoulder portion11 extending from spherical object 2 in a first direction and the secondarm member has a second shoulder portion 12 extending from the sphericalobject in a second direction opposite to the first direction and whereinthe first arm member includes a first extension member 13 affixed to thefirst shoulder portion and wherein the second arm member includes asecond extension member 14 affixed to the second shoulder portion and issubstantially parallel to said first extension member. This is currentlybelieved to be the best mode of carrying out the invention.

The game also tends to aid a player if and when he tosses horseshoes inthe conventional horseshoe game because he is constantly reminded thatan even direct for asserted against the central portion of the horseshoewill produce an orderly over and under motion of the horseshoe in flightwhereas a slight wobbling of the wrist will cause the horseshoe towobble chaotically from side to side in its flight toward the target.

In my experiments I have found that the aforesaid orderly over and undermotion without substantial sideways wobble was obtained by striking thegame piece with a sand wedge club.

FIG. 3 illustrates a third type of game piece wherein a first arm memberand a second arm member are curved and meet in space away from thespherical object. This game piece has not been tested but is believed tobe functional.

While the invention has been described in connection with preferredembodiments, the description is not intended to limit the scope of theinvention to the particular forms set forth, but on the contrary, it isintended to cover such alternatives, modifications, and equivalents asmay be included within the spirit and scope of the invention asindicated by the language of the appended claims.

1. A game piece configured to be struck by a golf club comprising: (a) aspherical object; (b) a first arm member coupled to one side of saidspherical object and a second arm member coupled to an opposite side ofsaid spherical object.
 2. The game piece of claim 1 (a) wherein saidfirst arm member has a first shoulder portion extending from saidspherical object in a first direction and said second arm member has asecond shoulder portion extending from said spherical object in a seconddirection opposite to said first direction and (b) wherein said firstarm member includes a first extension member affixed to said firstshoulder portion and wherein said second arm member includes a secondextension member affixed to said second shoulder portion and issubstantially parallel to said first extension member.
 3. The game pieceof claim 1 wherein said spherical object is substantially the size of agolf ball.
 4. The game piece of claim 2 wherein said spherical object issubstantially the size of a golf ball.
 5. The game piece of claim 1wherein said first arm member and said second arm member are curved andmeet in space away from said spherical object.
 6. The game piece ofclaim 5 wherein said spherical object is substantially the size of agolf ball.
 7. A method of conducting a recreational game comprising thesteps of: (a) providing a game piece having (a-1) a spherical object;(a-2) a first arm member coupled to one side of said spherical objectand a second arm member coupled to an opposite side of said sphericalobject; and (b) striking said spherical object with a golf club in orderto propel said game piece through the air.
 8. The method of claim 7including striking said spherical object with a pitching wedge golfclub.
 9. The method of claim 7 wherein said spherical object issubstantially the size of a golf ball.
 10. The method of claim 8 whereinsaid spherical object is having substantially the size of a golf ball.11. The method of claim 7 wherein said game piece is launched by aplayer at a target comprising a ground supported vertical pole, therebyto simulate a game of horseshoes.
 12. The method of claim 8 wherein saidgame piece is launched by a player at a target comprising a groundsupported vertical pole, thereby to simulate a game of horseshoes. 13.The method of claim 9 wherein said game piece is launched by a player ata target comprising a ground supported vertical pole, thereby tosimulate a game of horseshoes.
 14. The method of claim 10 wherein saidgame piece is launched by a player at a target comprising a groundsupported vertical pole, thereby to simulate a game of horseshoes.
 15. Amethod of conducting a recreational game comprising the steps of (a)providing a game piece having (a-1) a spherical object; (a-2) a firstarm member coupled to one side of said spherical object and a second armmember coupled to an opposite side of said spherical object; and (a-3)wherein said first arm member has a first shoulder portion extendingfrom said spherical object in a first direction and said second armmember has a second shoulder portion extending from said sphericalobject in a second direction opposite to said first direction; and (a-4)wherein said first arm member includes a first extension member affixedto said first shoulder portion and wherein said second arm memberincludes a second extension member affixed to said second shoulderportion and is substantially parallel to said first extension member;and (b) striking said spherical object with a golf club in order topropel said game piece through the air.
 16. The method of claim 15including striking said spherical object with a pitching wedge golfclub.
 17. The method of claim 15 wherein said spherical object issubstantially the size of a golf ball.
 18. The method of claim 16wherein said spherical object is substantially the size of a golf ball.19. The method of claim 15 wherein said game piece is launched by aplayer at a target comprising a ground supported vertical pole, therebyto simulate a game of horseshoes.
 20. The method of claim 16 whereinsaid game piece is launched by a player at a target comprising a groundsupported vertical pole, thereby to simulate a game of horseshoes.